“Whenever and wherever I was, even in my workplace, I brought God as a missionary.”
Bro. Dionisio Neil Balite’s history of service in Couples for Christ shows a man who doesn’t shy away from God’s call.
In his nearly three decades as a CFC member, he has served as a household head, Youth for Christ chapter coordinator, governance team member, provincial ANCOP head, and provincial area director. He also led Christian Life Programs in their family-owned chain of schools and in the Office of the Vice Governor.
Beyond his home province of Bohol, Bro. Neil was also the country coordinator for CFC Palau, and Family is a Gift Central Visayas Coordinator. He also served as a Parish Pastoral Council Coordinator and an Extraordinary Minister of the Holy Eucharist.
But he was called to a higher form of service when he became the mayor of Valencia, Bohol, in 2022 and was re-elected in 2025 by a lead of over 7,000 votes. While the political field is often riddled with anomalies and controversies, Bro. Neil was keen to shake off these stereotypes by incorporating his faith into his leadership.
Even before he started campaigning, Bro. Neil sought advice from his CFC brothers and sisters, as well as members of the clergy. Likewise, he stayed true to his Catholic identity by starting political rallies and sorties with a prayer. He did not resort to fake news, mudslinging, and hate campaigns when facing his constituents.
A Family-Centered Political Philosophy
“Serving the people outside the community can be tiring and stressful, since it’s very different from what I’m used to.”
While Mayor Neil admits that public service is not for the faint of heart, he governs Valencia like he leads his family. This style summarizes his approach into four P’s in Cebuano: pagminahalay, pagrespetohay, pagtinabangay, and pagampo.
Pagminahalay translates to “love”. Mayor Neil strives to prove that the politics of love is possible and attainable. Pagrespetohay, or “respect”, guides him to treat and serve everyone equally. Pagtinabangay pertains to “mutual help” or “support”, while pagampo means “prayer”.
These guiding principles made him the best mayor in Bohol. He received an outstanding 92.05% rating from the Bayan Serbisyo at Kaunlaran Advocates for Accountability and Participatory Governance provincial survey for the fourth quarter of 2024.
Aside from those two categories, Mayor Neil’s performance was assessed using other key metrics like economic development, public safety, social services, infrastructure development, education development, accountability, and participatory governance. True to his core beliefs, he established the Transparency and Accountability Office in his municipality.
The same principles helped him endure the challenges and controversies in public service. Beyond his political mandate, the man raised by his parents as a Roman Catholic continues to use the four P’s in leading his family: his wife, ten children, three in-laws, and four grandchildren. Like him, Mayor Neil’s children are active members of CFC and its Family Ministries.
Mayor Neil Balite is proof that the lessons learned in Catholic communities like Couples for Christ are relevant in nation-building. As inspired by Jesus, he doesn’t see his position as one of privilege. Instead, he uses it to do his part in building the Church of the home and of the poor.
Written by Lawrence Andrew Fernandez | Edited by Angeli Arellano | Lay-out and Graphics by Jay Lucena
